Needle-trimmer for talking-machines.



F. 0. WILKING. NEEDLE-TRIMMER FOR TALKING MACHINES.

APPLICATION 'FILED OCT. 22. I91]- I Patented Apr. 16, 1918.

4rra/ewirk j UNT Ti ion.

FRANK o. WILKING, or INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

NEEDLE-TRIMMER non TALKING-MACHINES...

To all whom it" may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK O. WILKING, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Indianapolis, county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented a certain new and useful Needle-Trimmer for Talking-Machines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which ters refer to like parts.

The object of this invention is to trim the wooden needles in talking machines more satisfactorily than has been done heretofore;

like letthat is, to enable the needle to be cutor' shaved thinner so as to'get about double the number of cuttings as compared with devices heretofore in use, and to trim the needle without removing it from the sound box on which it is mounted, and to self sharpen the cutter or trimmer.

A feature of this invention is in making a cutter formed like a pair of shears, that is two members pivoted together, with the sides of their heads in slidable engagement with each other as the device is operated. One member carries a rigid guide or'holder for the needle while the other member carries a stop for the needle and acircular cutter which gives to the needle a shearing cut. This circular cutter is spring pressed against the face of the member carrying the needle guide or holder so that it will make a fine shaving out and also will be self sharpenmg. g Y

The full nature of the invention will be understood from the accompanying drawings and the following description and claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the needle trimmer with the needle and needle holder of the sound box in pl'ace, the device being shown in condition for operation. Fig. 2 is an edge-view of'what is shown'in Fig. 1. Fig.3 is the-same as Fig. 1 with the'parts in operated position, the lower partbeing broken a-way. Fig. 4'

is a perspective view ofthe needle. Fig. 5

Specification of Letters Patent. t m 1 ,1918. Application filed October 22,1917. Serial No. 197,850,

member in Fig. 6, that is, with the two members in position before they are actuated, the lower part of the device being broken away.

The sound box of the talkingmachine is not herein shown, but the needle holder 10 of the sound box is shown. That holder is tubular to receive the wooden needle 11 which is secured in place by a set screw 12.

This structure and the needle areof com-' mon type heretofore in use.

The needle trimmer is formed of ameni- "ber 15 which carries a cutter 16' and amember 17 which carries a needle guide or holder 18, said two members 16 and 17 being shaped like scissors or nippers with their heads overlapping so that the sides of them abut not being used,'isshown in Fig. 1, while the limit during. use is shown in Fig. 3.

The cutter 16 is a disk with a sharp circu lar cutting edge at one side face of the disk,-

which side face and" cutting edge bear tightly against the inner side face of the head of the member 17 which carries the" needle guide or holder. The cutter 16 has a hub 25 which is mounted rotatably in a circular .recess 26 in the member 15 and there is a spiral spring 27 in said recess ,which always forces the cutter outward against the other member 17 of the trimmer. The needle guide 18 is secured rigidly in the head of the member 17 at an inclination, as shown in Fig. 6, and it has in its periphery a longitudinal needle groove 28,.

angular transversely so as to fit onor across the needle and to present the end of the needle to the cutter 16 at, the proper angle with reference to said vcutter to cause the end of the needle to receive, when trimmed, v

the proper bevel, substantially as shownfij A stop shoulder 29 is located in the head of y the member 15 opposite the inner end of the needle groove 28 to limit the position of the inner end of the needle when the trim- 'ming tool is placed in connection with the I needle, or when the, needle is placed in the will be out off from the end of the needle. And said shoulder 29 is immediately in advance of the cuttingedge 0f thecutter, 16...

so that as the device is operated, the shoulder 29 will leave the inner end of the needle while the device is operated. Buthere the.

needle istrimmed in another manner, by applying the trimmer to the needle while 1t is still secured 'to the sound box. This makes v, it needless to remove the. needle from the" p In this latter manner the sound boX is thrown. up in idle soundbox for trimming.

position, as is well. understood, and that exposes the needle and makes it easy to apply thetool thereto, The tool is applied by holding it in one hand and placing theguide 18. against the underside of the needle; When that "happens, the. stop shoulder 29.

' The trimmer is then held in such relation to the.

abuts again'st the end of the. needle.

needle while it is operated and it is operated bymoving the two handles ofthe device toward each other. That moves the cutter 16 across the inner face of the member 17 and into cutting engagement with the innerend of the needleand as the cutter advances, the i stop shoulder 29, of, course,' moves ,away

from the needleas the cutter and stop shoul der are securedto thesame member 15'. The I,

cutter is so mounted with relation tothe needlegnide18 thatthe edge thereof below a transverse radius would engage the needle, I which will automatically turn somewhat or roll'and give to the needle the shearing cut desired. A very fine shaving. out can be given because thespring 27 presses the cut ting, edge of the cutter tightly against the inner ,face of the member 17 and such inner. 1 face: of the member 17 sharpens such cutting edgeg so that it will continue ,to lie flatly. against such inner face of the memb en 17; Thisandjthe automatic turning of the cut- A I shear-like, a needle guide secured in nthe heretofore known, which 4 doubles the length of the life-or use of a needle. The invent on clanned 1s 1. A tr mmer for talkmg machine needles including two members fulcrumed together shear like, a needle; guide secured in the head of one ofsa d members and having a.

groove to receive a needleand with its inner end flush with the inner face of the head, of

said member, and a circular cutter rotatably 'mounted intheheadof the other member in position for its cutting edge to engagejthe g nst inner f e ft eneedle guide 2. A trimmer for talking machine needles,

If desired, the needle may be indeincluding two members fulcrumed together shear-like, a needle guide secured in the head. ofonelofsaidmembers and having a groove to receive a needle and with its inner end fiush with the inner face of the head of said member, and a circular cutter rotatably mounted in the other member in position for its ,cutti ng edge at a point away from the plane'of movement of the axis of said cutter when the device is op eratedto engage theinner .end of, the, needle so thatas the device is operated the cutter will turn and trim .,theinner end oft the needle.

3. A trimmer fortalking machine needles including two members,fulcrumed together shear-like, a needle; guide ,secured in the head of one of saidmembers and having a groove to receive a needle and with itsinn er end flush with the inner face of the. head of said member and a circular cutter rotatably mounted, inthe head of the other member, with its axisfarther away from the I fulcrum, of said members than theinner end of said needle guide so that as the device is operated said cutter will move substantially in a straight. line and, at the [same time, after it engages the inner end of the needle in said needle guide,the cutter will havea turning movement.

4. A trimmer for talking machine needles includng two: members, v fulcrumed together shear-like, a needle gnidesecuredin the.

head ofone ofsa d members and having a I p groove to receive a needle and with its inner, endflush withihe nner face of thehead of. said member, and, a circular cutter. having a,

hub like portion rotatable in, the h ead of Q the other memberof the device and with the cuttingledge flush .with I the .face of the cutt r. .opp ite t b.v a d-beeli sfi fi a t the inner surfaceof the needle gu de hold;

ing member and in position when the device is operated to engage and trim the inner-"Q endjof the needle. H

5. A trimmer for talhing, machine needles including two members .fulcrumed together head of one of said members and,havingla' groove to receive a needle an d with its inner cutting edge flush with the. face of the cutteropposite its hub and bearing flat against the inner surface ofithe needleguide holds 111g member and in position when the device 1s operatedto engage andtrlm the inner, end 2 l of theneedle anda spring. in said cutter...

ying, me r..f .f 'r ingia d. 1 ldin the cutting edge of ,said cutter tightly d-1 g mber-s 6. A trimmer for talkingmachine needles the other member having a circular recess in it farther from the fulcrum of said members than the inner end of the needle guide,

and a circular cutter with the hub fitting in said recess and with the cutting edge flush with the opposite face of the. cutter and engaging the inner surface of the needle guide holding member and in position when operated to engage and trim the inner end of the needle in said guide.

7 A trimmer for talking machine needles including two members fuIcrumed together shear-like, a needle guide secured in the head of one of said members and having a groove to receive a needle and with its inner end flush with the inner face of the head of said member, the inner face of the head of the other member having a circular recess in it farther from the fulcrum of said membersthan the inner end of the needle guide, a circular cutter with the hub fitting in said recess and with the cutting edge flush with the opposite face of the cutter and engaging the inner surface of the needle guide holding member and in position whenoperated to engage and trim the inner end of the needle in said guide, and a spiral spring in said recess bearing against the hub of said cutter for forcing the cutter against the inner face of the needle guide holding member.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto aflixed my signature. I

' FRANK O. WILKING.

Copies 0! this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patentn,

Washington, D. 0. 

